


Aquarium Date

by DancingStarQueen



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: At least kind of date, First Date, First Kiss, Fluff, Kanata is being surprisingly sneaky, Kaoru has a difficult time admitting he has a thing for ocean man, M/M, aquarium, cuteness, hand holding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:02:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23725024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DancingStarQueen/pseuds/DancingStarQueen
Summary: Have Kanata's eyes always been that intense shade of green..?
Relationships: Hakaze Kaoru/Shinkai Kanata
Comments: 4
Kudos: 32





	Aquarium Date

**Author's Note:**

> I purely dedicate this Oneshot to a close friend of mine-  
> Also, writing this hopefully let me make good use of what I know about Kanata's speech pattern xD  
> BUT I write to improve and I improve as I write so I'll be getting better with that over time~

_“It’s not a date. It’s just two friends hanging out.”_  
Kaoru repeated those words inside his head like some kind of mantra; as if it was something he constantly needed to be reminded of. Guys usually didn’t go on dates together. Not that he minded if some dudes actually did that! Just… he didn’t do that. Kaoru was certain he wasn’t interested in males like that. So obviously this wasn’t anything romantic. He was simply hanging out with a friend. And yet… When he turned his head and caught sight of an all too familiar mop of bright blue hair he felt his face heat up just the slightest bit. The blonde male was glad that most exhibition rooms in the Aquarium were quite dimly lit or else Kanata might’ve seen the blush on Kaoru’s face travel all the way up to his ears. This is ridiculous! He shouldn’t be using all his energy to think about such stupid things. Kanata didn’t seem to be bothered by the whole situation either. Of course not. After all, it has been Kanata who invited Kaoru to the Aquarium in the first place and Kanata rarely was bothered by anything.

_“The Aquarium?”_   
_Kaoru looked at the male in front of him with a mix of confusion and surprise, head tilted to the side lightly. Kanata nodded and let out a soft hum before speaking. “Yes, the ‘Aquarium’. You did ‘complain’ about how Souma and I went there without you before, didn’t you? It has been a ‘mistake’ on my side to not ask if you want to come along, so I am trying to ‘make up’ for it now.” The shorter boy explained, a serene smile playing on his lips. “It’s my ‘duty’ as the president of the Marine Bio club to make sure all my members are happy and satisfied. Taking you to the Aquarium seems like the ‘right’ thing to do~” He added, making Kaoru roll his eyes. “The right thing to do? Sounds like you’re spending too much time with Morisawa-kun.” Wait, did that sound like was jealous? Maybe he should’ve phrased that differently- “It might be ‘right’ that my sense of justice was influenced through Ryuseitai, however, this time there’s no ‘connection’ whatsoever.” Kanata clarified. “I figured it might make Kaoru ‘happy’ to be treated as a proper club member, even though he doesn’t attend ‘meetings’ as often as he ‘should’.” The blonde male huffed quietly at the teasing. “Yeah, yeah, whatever… So this is a casual invitation to hang out? Sure thing. As long as I’m not busy, that is.”_

Lucky enough, Kanata managed to choose a day where Kaoru had a completely free schedule. If it actually was just luck or if some kind of weird magic was involved (And Kaoru didn’t find that thought as ridiculous as he should- Kanata was acquainted with Wataru and Natsume after all), Kaoru didn’t know. His schedule usually was quite packed with various dates so he was surprised that his schoolmate’s first suggestion immediately worked out. A tug on the sleeve of his shirt made the Blonde jump in surprise and he suddenly found himself way too close to Kanata’s face. Have the other’s eyes always been that intense shade of green? “You’ve been staring off into ‘space’, Kaoru~ You are still ‘okay’ with spending the day here with me, right?” If Kaoru didn’t know any better, he would’ve mistaken the undertone in Kanata’s voice as insecurity. But that couldn’t be. If there’s one thing Kanata certainly was not, it was insecure. So instead of questioning the tricks his imagination tried to play at him, he nodded quickly. “Duh, of course I am. I wouldn’t be here in the first place if I wasn’t.” He answered. Kanata did not look entirely convinced. “Is something else the ‘problem’ then? You are radiating unusual ’warmth’, Kaoru. Are you feeling unwell?” If Kanata came any closer, Kaoru would probably panic. The Blonde swallowed the lump in his throat and quickly took a step back, bringing some distance between them. “Geez, some personal space would be appreciated Kanata! I’m fine, I’ve just… Ah look, there’s a jellyfish tank over there. You said it’s new, right? Let’s take a look!”  
Was his heart beating faster? No, surely that’s not the case. After all, there’s no reason to be nervous, right? It’s not like they almost kissed or anything… And even if it was there wouldn’t be a reason to be nervous! Kanata didn’t seem to mind the sudden change of subject, already ahead of Kaoru once more to inspect the new attraction. The taller male couldn’t help but smile as he watched Kanata. The blue haired boy always seemed most at peace when he was surrounded by all things related to the sea. From where Kaoru was standing, he had a good view on Kanata’s face, which was illuminated in soft shades of blue and green from the water and lamps around. Kanata was a really good-looking individual, even Kaoru was able to admit that much. The way bright blue strands of hair framed his pretty, pale face, a set of bright green eyes, a soft and serene smile… Ah he was thinking too much again! The Blonde groaned quietly and rubbed a hand over his face. This is how Kaoru would describe a girl, it’s no way to describe another male! Though… he did like how Kanata’s eyes sparkled as he watched the sea creatures move around in front of him. Kaoru wondered if there was a similar spark in his own eyes? They both have been to the Aquarium several times already, even though separately until now, but to Kaoru it always felt like something special. Maybe because it felt a little like still having his mother around. She had loved this place after all… 

“Hey Kanata, do my eyes sparkle?” The question slipped from Kaoru’s lips before he was able to give it a second (or even a first proper) thought. Kanata had difficulties tearing his gaze away from the fish tank but eventually turned to look at his companion. Kaoru panicked. “A-Ah forget what I said! It’s a stupid question anyways, just ignore it-“ “Kaoru’s eyes don’t always ‘sparkle’. It’s a ‘shame’ because Kaoru’s eyes are ‘really’ pretty, even more so when he’s happy about something.” Kanata answered, completely ignoring the other’s embarrassed ranting. “If you ask me if your eyes ‘sparkle’ right now, then yes. Maybe it is because you’re in a place you connect ‘many’ happy memories with~ You visited this Aquarium with your ‘mother’ a lot after all… Do my eyes sparkle, Kaoru?” The blonde male opened and closed his mouth several times, heat rushing to his cheeks and colouring them red once more. He hadn’t expected any kind of answer in the first place! And he usually disliked being complimented or praised by another male… So why could he feel his heart pound inside his chest? Kaoru looked at the shorter male, praying to every god whose name he could remember that the dim lighting was concealing the blush on his cheeks. He once more was captivated by Kanata’s bright green eyes. “A-Ah yeah, I guess so… But your eyes always sparkle when you’re around ocean and water related stuff so I’m not surprised.” He finally managed to answer. A thoughtful hum left the blue haired male’s lips as he slowly tilted his head from side to side. “I can understand that that’s ‘usually’ the case… But today, I ‘think’ it’s because I get to enjoy all of this with you around. Getting to spend time with you brings me ‘great’ joy, Kaoru.”

Kaoru probably could’ve died right then and there. Kanata always had been a really honest person, at least for as long as he had known his schoolmate, so there was no reason to doubt any of his words. It just… felt really unreal to hear them, for some reason. Girls have told him multiple times before that they had enjoyed spending time with him, going out with him. He was so used to someone telling him they enjoyed something as long as they were spending their time with Kaoru… so why did it feel so incredibly different when Kanata said it? They had been friends for quite a while; Kaoru would even go as far as claiming that Kanata might be one of his best and closest friends. So obviously it was important to the blonde male that his companion was enjoying their time here at the Aquarium… However, the thought of Kanata enjoying the trip to his favourite place even more just because Kaoru agreed to come along filled the blonde male with a strange sense of pride. He was the cause of Kanata’s happiness today. Of course, making people happy was quite a nice feeling, regardless of the person being male or female…  
And yet there was something about this whole situation that made Kaoru’s heart beat just a little faster and brought a smile to his lips. Seeing the other male happy like that was nice. Really nice, actually. Not that he’s never seen the blue haired boy happy before. Kanata tended to be happy on several occasions; so much Kaoru sometimes found himself wondering about how much happiness one single person could carry around with them. And Kanata expressed his happiness in different ways. Smiles and words, little melodies and gestures, like the endearing individual he was. And the way Kanata expressed his happiness now was a sweet mixture; it was the way he lightly tipped his head from side to side, a hum akin to a soft tune leaving his lips and a smile just a little wider than usual. The taller male was so lost in his own observations that he didn’t quite notice the new sensation, a slightly cold hand grabbing and holding onto his own warm one. “Kaoru is ‘dreaming’ again~ Let’s move on, shall we? I do believe that Kaoru agreed to take me out for ‘dinner’ as thanks for me paying for the ‘tickets’; so we shouldn’t ‘waste’ our time here by staring into ‘space’.” Kaoru blinked slowly, realizing that his friend was tugging him along by the hand. And… was that a blush he saw on Kanata’s usually pale cheeks?! “D-Don’t call it that! I’m simply returning a favour! H-Hey, slow down a little, will ya-“

The day went by a lot faster than Kaoru would’ve thought (and anticipated if he had to be perfectly honest with himself. But he wasn’t, of course.). They managed to leave the Aquarium in the late afternoon, surprisingly without any incidents that involved Kanata sneaking into any of the fish tanks and with the blue haired boy behaving quite well during the dolphin show. The Blonde also had kept his promise of treating Kanata for dinner afterwards. It wasn’t anything big or fancy and for a short moment, Kaoru actually felt bad and wondered if he should think about something more extravagant for next time. He stopped his train of thoughts right afterwards. This still wasn’t a date! Yeah it was just the two of them. Yeah, they went to the Aquarium, a common place for dates. Yeah, they held hands for a short while (involuntarily of course, since Kanata was the one who refused to let go! It wasn’t like Kaoru intertwined their fingers or anything!).   
Now they were walking down the streets, close enough for their shoulders to brush against each other slightly but their hands not touching, on their way to Kaoru’s place. Surprisingly enough, Kanata had insisted on taking Kaoru home and wouldn’t take no for an answer. When they had left the small restaurant, Kaoru swore he heard the other male mumble something along the lines of ‘they told me I’m supposed to do that’ but it also could be his imagination playing tricks on him again. The Blonde flinched lightly when he felt their fingertips touch ever so slightly but didn’t pull away in time to stop Kanata; who was reaching for the other’s hand once again and now holding it in his own colder one. And while Kaoru’s initial reaction would’ve been to pull his hand away and tell the shorter male to stop with that nonsense, he now simply laced their fingers together. No one was around to see them anyways… “Your fingers are cold.” The Blonde mentioned, desperately trying to break through the awkward silence. “They always are. Though, I am ‘sure’ that this will change quickly. Kaoru’s hand holds a lot of ‘warmth’; so I’ll be just fine.” Kaoru groaned quietly, stopping once they had reached his house. “You keep saying such embarrassing things…!” He exclaimed in frustration; slowly, almost reluctantly, pulling his hand out of Kanata’s grasp.  
Did his eyes play pranks on him or did Kanata look slightly disappointed? The Blonde didn’t have much time to think about what he believed he just saw since his male companion turned his head to glance at the house they were standing in front of. “So this is where Kaoru ‘lives’~ A really nice place.” The blue haired boy smiled sweetly as he turned his head back to look at the other. Kaoru shrugged it off. It depended on the point of view and if he was being honest, he wasn’t too excited to get inside. For various reasons. “Guess so… Anyways, thanks for the invitation. It was… a nice trip. We should do that again. Let’s invite Souma-kyun too or the poor boy will feel all left out!” Not that Kaoru really cared, he and Souma didn’t really get along with each other to begin with. He just felt like that might be something Kanata would wanted to hear. “Uh… See you at school tomorrow? I better not find you in the fountain, it’s such a struggle to get you out of there!” The Blonde was about to turn away and walk towards the front door, when the other male got a hold of his hand once more. “Is something else the matter? Don’t tell me you’re scared to walk home alone after all, I-“

“Can I ‘kiss’ you?”

Kaoru blinked. Once. Twice. Eyes widening in shock as he stumbled a step backwards, accidentally tugging Kanata along and closer as the shorter male was still holding onto his hand. “W-What?! Why would you even ask something like that?!” He wasn’t sure what he was panicking about more; the question itself or the strange and quite scary feeling of excitement that bubbled in his chest. Kanata tilted his head to the side in question. “Isn’t that what ‘people’ usually do after a ‘date’? Kiss each other ‘goodnight’?” He asked, expression just as soft and innocent as always. “Wait, hold on a second! What do you mean ‘date’?!” Kanata let out a soft, frustrated huff. “I wonder if my ‘intentions’ have not been clear enough? I made sure to ‘follow’ Chiaki’s and the kids ‘instructions’, I do wonder what went wrong… Ah, I am no ‘good’ with words after all so I cannot blame Kaoru for ‘misunderstanding’.” Kaoru wasn’t sure if Kanata’s words were directed at him or if he was talking to himself but before he could speak up, the blue haired male spoke up once again. “When I asked you to come to the ‘Aquarium’ with me, alone, I intended for this to be a ‘date’. Maybe I should have ‘used’ another method to get you to agree. I wasn’t ‘honest’ with you, maybe that was a miscalculation.” Kaoru lifted his free hand, running it through his hair in a distressed motion. “You literally lured me into this, what about this is a miscalculation?!” He called out, louder than originally intended. Kanata glanced up at Kaoru. “Are you ‘angry’ with me?” “What- N-No, I’m not angry! Ugh, sorry, this is just… If you wanted this to be a date, why didn’t you say so in the first place?” Kaoru felt incredibly dumb asking such a question. 

After all, the answer was obvious enough.

“Kaoru always goes on dates with ‘girls’ and exclusively talks about his ‘interest’ in them, so I figured he might not ‘want’ to go out with me, since I am a ‘boy’. “ Kanata explained, his voice still calm and collected as always. “The ‘most’ important part was to get to spend ‘time’ with you, that’s why I decided to ‘wait’ until the evening to inform you about my ‘initial’ intentions. If you were to ‘reject’ me now, that would mean we still had a ‘nice’ day at the Aquarium together.” Kaoru slowly felt all his built up walls melt away as he listened. Of course there wasn't any ill will behind Kanata's actions. There never was... It’s not as if he ever thought of it as shameful to want to be or actively being with a person of the same gender. He just always had been so sure that he wasn’t like that. But now he looked at his friend; gorgeous, innocent, lovable Kanata who still held onto his hand; who lived through god knows how many emotional rollercoasters throughout the day, anticipating this very moment; and Kaoru struggled to find the right words. “…What if I actually do reject you now?” He eventually asked. Kanata’s smile didn’t falter as he answered. “Then that would mean you have ‘made’ your choice and I might be able to ‘move on’ from the lingering feelings inside my chest. I tried what I ‘wanted’ to try and that’s ‘okay’.” Kaoru slowly pulled his hand out of Kanata’s and the shorter male took that as a sign of rejection, slowly taking a step away from his friend. Were they even still friends? Kaoru rolled his eyes and groaned loudly before lifting both his hands and placing them on both sides of Kanata’s face; effectively pulling him closer again. “I said ‘what if’ not that I actually will reject you. You should listen properly before jumping to conclusions. You’re supposed to be a smart one after all, right?” Kaoru had spent the entire day with Kanata. They went to the Aquarium together, held hands on several occasions throughout the past few hours, went to get dinner together and Kanata even walked him home. He wouldn’t say it out loud. At least not today or anytime too soon, but this has been a date from start to finish. Not a very good one when it’s about the term ‘date’ itself, but still. Kanata was about to open his mouth and speak up, concerned about why Kaoru just kept staring at him; but before he got the chance, he felt a pair of warm lips pressed against his own colder ones.

Kanata’s lips tasted slightly salty. It reminded Kaoru of the sea water that sometimes spilled into his mouth when he fell off of his surfboard. He also recognized the faint taste of the soy sauce the shorter male liked to consume so much and the Blonde remembered how Kanata had drenched his dinner in said sauce barely half an hour ago. But his lips were also surprisingly soft.  
The blue haired male easily recognized the taste of the dessert they had at the restaurant a little while ago as he leaned into the kiss. Everything about the taller male radiated familiar warmth, a warmth Kanata gladly basked in. Not exactly knowing where to place his hands, he decided to settle them on the other male’s hip area, tugging them closer together in the process. He could immediately feel the rising heat of the Blondes face, implying that he was blushing.

The kiss was kind of sloppy and uncoordinated with Kaoru not being used to the thought of kissing another boy and with Kanata probably completely inexperienced in kissing in the first place. And yet both parties seemed to be rather content as they pulled apart; Kaoru’s fingers feeling the soft skin of Kanata’s cheeks and Kanata’s thumbs rubbing small circles against the taller boy’s hips. Not wanting awkward silence to claim them once more, Kaoru spoke up. “Well… There is room for improvement.” Yes, way to go. Kanata tilted his head to the side in question. “About the ‘kiss’? I thought it felt ‘nice’. Kaoru’s lips are really ‘soft’, like I imagined them to be.” “D-Don’t say such things so casually, geez! Anyways, uh… This was your first kiss, I guess?” The blue haired male nodded lightly. “It was~ I ‘wonder’ if I would’ve shared it with anyone else if you had ‘rejected’ me.” He hummed thoughtfully. Kaoru huffed, gently tugging the boy’s face closer to his own again. “Bit too late to think about that, don’t you think?” He questioned, making Kanata chuckle quietly. “Are you ‘jealous’~?” He asked and if Kaoru didn’t know any better he would’ve mistaken the tone in the other’s voice as teasing. He clicked his tongue and pulled his hands away from Kanata’s face. “Of course not. There’s no need to be jealous over things that never happened after all. I’d rather take pride in the fact that your first kiss belongs to me now!” A smug grin appeared on the taller boy’s lips and Kanata let out another soft chuckle. He slowly pulled his hands away as well, bringing just a little bit of distance between them. He already missed the feeling of warmth and comfort.  
“So does that mean Kaoru is ‘not’ as much into girls as he ‘likes’ to claim?” Kanata asked and Kaoru shrugged lightly at the question, grin still apparent on his handsome features. “Who knows... How about we explore that together on our second date? Leave the planning up to me this time though, or we might never see anything but the Aquarium.”

Kanata laughed quietly. “Yes, let’s do that.”


End file.
